Thailand, 1953 — military coup conspiracy
Event Summary
The dataset records an event coded as a military and dissident coup conspiracy in Thailand on 26 August 1953, during the Phibun-Phao-Sarit triumvirate. In this period Field Marshal Phibunsongkhram's standing within the military was declining as a result of the plots against him, while his two junior partners, police director general Phao Siyanon and army commander Sarit Thanarat, grew steadily more powerful; Phibun retained the premiership largely because of their rivalry for the succession. The government's anti-communist campaign, launched with the November 1952 announcement of a communist plot, gathered momentum throughout 1953.
The coded August 1953 conspiracy fits this pattern of ongoing military and factional plotting against Phibun, bookended by the June 1951 Manhattan Rebellion, the November 1952 communist-plot arrests, and the eventual 1957 coup by Sarit that finally removed Phibun from power.
Researched Details
Researched
Independent research, added record by record. Hover any label for what it means.
Sources
Editorial Note
Cross-Reference
Only one dataset carries it. One of the three reference datasets we check against carries this event; the others do not list it. That is not a contradiction — the datasets cover different periods and use different thresholds — but it means the record has had less outside corroboration.
Identifiers for finding this same event in the other datasets:
- Cline Center id
80008261953
How the match is made is described in crossref-report.md.
Outcome and Target
Coup Atlas research identifies the target as: Phibunsongkhram survived the factional plotting of this period but was overthrown by Sarit in 1957.
Baseline coding: Plot discovered and disrupted before execution. Recorded leader fate: remained in office; not physically harmed. The baseline file does not name individual targets; researched names are kept in a separate layer.
Baseline Dataset Citation
Baseline Source-Document Entries
New York Times
Washington Post
This is the citation trail carried by the baseline dataset, grouped by outlet and rejoined from the line-wrapped original. Coup Atlas has not independently re-checked every document; read the original before citing a specific claim. URLs the import damaged beyond safe repair are shown as plain text and listed in citations-report.md. How this list is built →